


How It All Went Down

by Witch_of_History



Series: Down the Rabbit Hole [1]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), The Isle of the Lost Series - Melissa de la Cruz
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 00:00:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21957841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Witch_of_History/pseuds/Witch_of_History
Summary: A quick summary at the beginning is not quite enough to understand how the Isle of the Lost came to be. There were stories on both sides that needed to be told, children and magic that needed to be accounted for.So they're being accounted for.
Relationships: Ben/Evie/Mal (Disney: Descendants), Evie/Mal (Disney), Jay/Carlos de Vil
Series: Down the Rabbit Hole [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1580758
Comments: 3
Kudos: 83





	1. With Ease

The council was barely a council the first time it was called. It was simply a collection of all of the most well known heroes and royalty, mixed with a few that had heard the news and decided to join. To say the least, there were at least thirty of them sitting around a large table with no one really sure why they were there. The first to speak was the Enchantress, who had called them. “Your villains are getting harder to fight, they are growing in numbers and joining together so they are stronger. And yet, here you all sit, separated by borders and bias.” She rose slowly, her eyes shifting between colors as she kept her magic at bay. “I called you all here today because I know the world can be better, that you can all make it better. I want to see how you plan to make that happen. But,” she amended, “I can not see the future. Your plans are yours alone to decide on, as they do not affect me as much as they do you.” 

It’s possible that if the Enchantress knew what would happen there in that room after she left, she would not have allowed the decision to be passed. She would have refused to let it be spoken, even, but at the same time it must be considered that this was her plan. That she was testing the heroes to see if they were truly good at heart. And it would take someone who was fix things. 

* * *

Ariel knew once it was decided that her villains would be the first to be sent away, they were defeated with heavy wounds but they were powerful and possibly could not die. So she prayed to her grandfather and dove into the sea, her legs melding until she once again had a tail. She swam faster than ever before, determined to watch those who threatened her family get their dues. She was heading for the palace, but hid behind a rock when she saw Flotsam and Jetsam. _How are they still free?_

Her question was quickly answered when she noticed the magical cage around them, quickly followed by her father with his trident. “I will follow you to their place of imprisonment, they will need enchantments to keep them in place. They won’t be able to leave where I put them, but they’ll have some room to move around.” 

The guards from Auradon, as they had decided to call the coalition, were wearing special gear that was running out of oxygen so they quickly went back to their ship after figuring out the plan. Ursula snarled as soon as they disappeared, making Ariel shrink back instead of reveal herself. “You were always a power hungry asshole, which is why I wasn’t offended when you saw me as a threat. In fact,” she laughed, “I thought it was cute. But our little sister?” That made them all pause, the truth finally being revealed after more than thirty years. “You turned on her because she wouldn’t choose a side, she doesn’t deserve this.” 

While her father just glared, Morgana was humming excitedly while she looked over the chains attached to her hands. “Did you make these with your forky thing? They can’t be from the surface dwellers, they’re dampening our magic.” 

“Gag her or she’ll never shut up,” Triton ordered the guards leading them. Ursula surged forward to prevent them from grabbing at her sister, but she was knocked out by a strike from her father’s trident. Ariel started crying quietly as she watched, praying that she wasn’t found. She watched as her father dragged them away, pain flaring in her stomach as she retched out her breakfast. She would never forgive either of them for what they did, especially Morgana for her daughter. But she understood why. They weren’t born bad, they were castaways that no one wanted because they were sirens. It was an easy fall from there. 

Later, when Triton got the news that his spies revealed three children born from his sisters, Ariel rushed to the surface to tell her husband. “Eric, they’re so young. Morgan is the youngest and she can’t even leave the water yet, she doesn’t know how to change. We can take them in, raise them better than their mother’s were.” 

Her doting husband who hadn’t judged a girl who used a fork to comb her hair, who had tried to learn sign thinking that maybe she would understand, was hesitant. “We can’t rip children away from their mothers, that’s cruel. But we can petition to ask them, to give them a choice to give them up.” He paused, his eyebrows furrowed. “Surly the magic prevents children?” 

Ariel shook her head. “They’re my father’s sisters, which means that they’re at least half god. It’s possible that their magic was strong enough to allow it to happen, or maybe my father’s enchantments cancel out the other ones.” In any case, they went to the council that day and asked for the children to be taken away. They were shut down quickly out of fear, but also something they didn’t know. Beast had forgotten to prevent children, and they were starting to be born. He had quickly asked Fairy Godmother to take care of it, but she told him that any who were already in their mother’s wombs would still be born. He believed that would be the last of that, but there were three generations on the isle already. And they would not be ignored. 

* * *

Maleficent and Hades were the only two to turn themselves in, though the stories would not show it. Maleficent had found peace with her people, sharing the land that Aurora and Phillip ruled. But she was a great power in the world, and everyone was _scared._ Phillips mother had spread rumors about how her _son_ was the one to wake Aurora from her slumber and that it was because of Maleficent's defeat that the faerie folk were placaded. She had woven them so well that they would never really go away, even as she walked around the grounds on for hooves and in her studded collar. 

So to keep _all_ of their people safe, it was agreed that Maleficent would be sent to the Isle to serve her sentence and Divial would advise Aurora how to lead in her absence. Aurora and Phillip were hard pressed to rule the country, so they sent Aurora’s grandmother instead. She only reported good things, her hatred of what had been done to her family aimed solely at Maleficent. It would be years before they realized what hell they sent her into. 

Hades, on the other hand, knew exactly what he was getting into when he walked across the bridge. His brother, Zeus, wasn’t really interested in the affairs of humans and had denied them the right to punish Hades. “Hades mistakes were done and amended far before your lands were even _found_. I see no reason why I should help you mortals.” 

But Beast wasn’t an idiot and he needed something to prove his power. So he promised to build a school for demigods, name it after the gods, and then set up gaming tournaments between the schools to keep up alliances and maybe get some marriages. 

“Now you’re talking sense, mortal king. Hades will be imprisoned only for a human life time of a hundred years,” Zeus decided as it was only fitting, “for...putting out a hit on a mortal! There we go, that’s against one of your silly laws I’m sure.” The United States of Auradon agreed to these terms, though they were disappointed with the time limit. There would be a time they would have to release him, but it was worth it. 

When Hades refused, his brother reminded him that “a hundred years is nothing compared to eternity”. He said his goodbyes to Persephone, surprised to find her holding a newborn in her arms. “I was going to wait to ask you if you wanted one, but I couldn’t let you go alone. “Take her, raise her to be a ruler. One day she may escape and take over from me, or better yet,” his wife’s eyes burned like hell fire, “she’ll take those bastards in power down and bring you home.” 

“You and my children have everything that is mine,” he whispered into her hair. “You have my mind as you are all I will ever be able to think about, you have my body as I will mark myself for you and you alone. You have my heart as it beats only because of you.” Hades both promised her his eternal love, and his loyalty. He would never willingly take another to bed. 

* * *

The other villains were far easier to capture and far less dramatic. Dr. Facilier was found by the bayou after being returned by “his friends from the other side” by the local police. He was brought before the mayor and the visiting royals who sentenced him to the Isle while he was still weak from his endeavour. If they kept it from Tiana and Naveen, both that he was alive and on the Isle, no one dared to correct it. 

Jafar was even easier, Aladdin just handed over the lamp he was imprisoned in and informed Beast, “you can figure out how to get him out of that thing if you want to, but a lamp is a prison as much as it is a home.” 

Edgar Balthazar was already in custody of the police for a multitude of charges. Kidnapping and Abduction, Attempted murder, Attempting to swindle Madam out of her fortune, and Animal Abuse. Captain Hook and his crew were brought over on his own ship by Tinkerbell’s magic, her smug expression over getting to see him be the one imprisoned was not lost. Peter chastised her for enjoying someone else’s pain. 

On the other hand, Adam had something a bit more extravagant in mind. He paraded Gaston through the streets he used to run, heading for a barge that was full of thieves and murders. What no one was expecting, was for LeFou to follow him with a pack attacked his belt loops. “If he goes for his crimes, I go to. It’s that simple.” He quieted down when the others followed: Monsieur D'Arque and his wife. They ran the asylum where Gaston sent most of his enemies.

The inhumanoids, the Horned King, Claude Frollo, Clayton, Governor Ratcliffe, The Ringmaster, Mad Madam Mim had no one to protest their sentences. Certainly not Esmeralda who Frollo tried to rape, though she believed she had mutilated him enough because of it that he would never have children. She would never know that he would use a witch so it works and that Phoebus would hide it from her so she wouldn’t feel guilty. Not Princess Eilonwy and Taran who the council voted didn’t have a choice, who are still working through the trauma he dealt them. Not Simba whose daughter had helped ease the tensions between the lands and gladly sent him away, where he couldn’t harm anyone. Not Jane and Tarzan who were in the jungle and didn’t know he was alive. Not Pochahontas who had almost seen her people destroyed. Not Dumbo who couldn’t speak anyway, so they didn’t ask. Not Arthur who is too young for his crown and just wants her gone.


	2. With Vengeance

It had been years since the last time Grimihide ran her own kingdom, the villages ran themselves as she had already appointed good leaders when she was first sent off to marry Snow White’s father. So when the story got all messed up and her name got dragged through the mud, she boarded up her castle. She had plenty of garden space on her property to survive on, the servants that still lived there were born and raised within its walls and knew about the tunnels into town. So she saw no reason to let anyone in, besides maybe Snow. 

They had fought the day that she left, and Grimihide had lost herself after two days with no sleep. Snow started the fight, having fallen from an apple tree outside, breaking a branch on her way down. Grimihide had snapped at her that she needed to be more careful because she had too many emotions, Snow snapped back because she was scared, and Grimihide told her that if she was going to act like that she should leave. Snow, in all of her stubbornness, did. Grimihide sent the huntsman after her both to scare the girl into  _ never _ running away again, and to keep her safe. The reason Snow had fallen under a curse was because she angered the spirit in the apple tree when she broke it. At least the part of the prince kissing her awake was true, but they had been best friends since childhood and it wasn’t on the lips. 

Snow visited when she could, though she had her own country to run now that she was old enough. She was thirteen when the accident happened and only took over the throne when she was twenty one. 

The day that Grimihide found Auradon soldiers at her door, she made sure to let them find her only when she was sitting in her dining room at the head of the table lazily eating some apple pie. “Homemade, they were always my favorites. Would any of you like some before you steal me away?” She laughed as one of the guards snuck a bite as they are changing her up, watching with disinterest when he fell into a deep slumber. She said a cheery goodbye to her servants, informing them that they were all free now. Grimihide knew she was breaking, but it was better to smile than to cry. Crying was weakness, and where she was going there would be none of that. 

* * *

But not all was as easy as it seemed. There were those who were loved, those who needed medical treatment, and those who their heroes believed to no longer be of danger. There were fathers, mothers, sisters. Old friends and respected rivals. 

Cassim was actually a few of those, but Nesira was none. She was serving her sentence for her crimes against Agrabah, though they were lesser compared to her brother, Jafar’s. She was there when he visited his friends, as they seemed to find themselves there more often than not, and one day she decided to make conversation. “You know, Jafar was the only family I had left. There’s a grandmother who doesn’t speak to us because our mother was unmarried when she had him, so I would fight to the death for him. It doesn’t seem like he felt the same.” 

He didn’t answer, but he gave the information to his son to do with as he wished. The next time he went down, she was humming quietly under her breath. “I recognize that tune, I wasn’t aware that anyone knew of it here.” 

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, trying to dampen her surprise. It was weeks of small whispers, quite admissions and more than their fair share of arguments. But when the Beast came for her and his men, he was in love with her. She was ready to go, she wanted to go willingly and with pride. “No,” someone protested and surprisingly, it was Aladdin. They are in my wife’s country and her jail, you never asked for them at council and you will not get them.” 

Nesira was resigned to her fate, but Cassim knew what he needed to do. “You can send us,” he decided, grabbing her hand through the bars. She was trying to cry, but her smile made up for it. “You can send the King of Thieves and Jafar’s only remaining family, on one condition.” He looked at his friends behind their bars, glaring at him and whispering for him to shut up. “The rest of the prisoners, and all to follow, stay here unless my son and daughter-in-law chose to send them.” 

The Beast agreed and his fate was sealed. Auradon’s new king would find his luck running out. 

* * *

Where Aladdin allowed his father to go, Cinderella’s sisters didn’t have a choice. And yes, she finally thought of them as sisters after her time spent helping Anastasia with her baker, now husband, and after the sit down she had forced Drizella into. It had taken two hours and a few thrown cups of tea, but Drizella had finally asked Anastasia if she was happy. “I am, he thinks I’m more beautiful than any prince ever has and treats me like I’m a queen.” 

The second someone even suggested that her sisters had to go, she was not having it. “Anastasia was reformed long ago and is currently living very happily in Charmington, and in fact she’s  _ married _ .” Her smile was less reassuring and more icy. “Drizzella has to stay too, she was raised just as her sister was to be like that. She knew nothing else besides mother.” She skipped over her own mistake, Kit grabbing her hand under the table to keep her settled. “Please, you can send Lady Tremaine but not my sisters.” 

Ultimately Adam convinced the council that she was just going through stockholm syndrome, kicking her out when her anger boiled over and she snapped, “well it worked out for you and Belle.” She was forced to watch as all three were forced to go. None knew about Anastasia’s slowly swelling belly. She didn’t even tell the baker, but she names him Anthony after her husband when he is born. 

* * *

There were others who fought too. Anita strongly protested Cruella’s imprisonment on the isle and was horrified that her leaders could even consider it. She brought in doctors and psychologists and advocates, anyone really, who could tell the council that Cruella could not go to the Isle. “She’s mentally ill,” Anita begged them to understand. “She was fine when she was a designer because she was on medication. We were best friends at that point and when I left to have children, she felt abandoned and stopped taking it. I’m not saying that what she did was at all right or excusable, but she needs to be in a place where she could be monitored and kept on a schedule for her medication. She needs help, I can’t leave her again.” But she wasn’t a royal and was therefore politely informed this was too important to leave one behind, what if others tried the same ploy? 

Mulan had tried a different tactic and took her troubles straight to the Emperor. She stormed in with Shang, Yoa, Chien Po, Ling, and  _ the emperor’s own daughters _ . The Mongols had not dared to enter China again, keeping to the perimeter lands both to watch for weaknesses and also to remain close enough to civilization during winter. “The Mongols are not evil, they are just a tribe who believed if someone couldn’t defend their land they didn’t deserve it. China was strong and heavily defended, so they moved on. And the lands they have conquered, I hear that a woman can walk through the streets with all of her jewels and make it to her destination without trouble.” Mei tried to add that they only tried to steal their jewels for money as they were passing through, but her father refused to listen. But in his old age, there were mentions of rebellion and the monarchy being replaced by a council not unlike the one he was running. He wanted to keep his power, and an alliance with Auradon would do them good. “I won’t send them all, but I will send their leaders.” 

On the other hand, not all of the Emperors were so easily swayed by power. Emperor Kuzco had Yzma transformed back into a human and banned her from her lab until she could pay penance for what she had done. Over the course of her sentence, she saw the changes that had come after her attempts on his life. He was still a posh brat, but he was a good ruler when he realized that his people mattered. Kronk was actually the one who gave Kuzco the idea, explaining how good a life he had now that he was working for Kuzco. “I have a wife, I have a family.” Slowly she allowed herself to give up her anger, but she still called the emperor out when she knew he was being an idiot. It was a far fall from her job as his advisor, but she seemed to be getting him to like her again. Maybe if the Auradon guards hadn’t come to take her away, maybe if people liked her enough to protest her removal, Kuzco could have done something. But as it was he was barely able to sneak her a bag of potions, unsure of their use or if they would work, only hoping that she would survive. 

* * *

The most well known fighter did not do it for her villian, she didn’t even watch. No, when the guards came to take Gothel away Rapunzel sobbed into her boyfriend’s shirt as they sat curled up somewhere in the castle. Her only protest had been that the Stabbington Brothers would face her kingdom’s justice system and nothing less. She hadn’t been able to face the woman who raised her until she was eighteen years old, only to find out that said woman was using her and would torture her if needed. So Rapunzel never saw Gothel’s returned youth, figuring her to be an old woman who would die on the Isle far away from her people. 

She never expected to find out that she had a sister. “You’re telling me,” she demanded as she stood barefoot in the council room, glaring at the king, “that there are children on the isle? That Mother can have children?!” It had been two years since Ariel had informed them of the sea witches children, but until that day they had all believed it to be because of their blood. “One of the guards, which  _ my country  _ trained for you, informed me that there are at least  _ fifty  _ children. He had gone on one of the barges as there had been more fighting lately, but apparently that is because those same kids are old enough to fight. Dozens of them fighting over  _ our  _ garbage, looking thin and scared.” She took a deep breath. “Please, at the very least get Gothel’s child out of there. I have been raised by that woman and I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone.” 

King Adam had raised his hands in a placating manner, smiling softly. “There were some issues with magic users being able to produce children, but they have been rectified. Sadly, this came to our attention once they were already too old to be safely brought here.” Rapunzel could hear some of the others getting upset, but he wasn’t done. “Both for us and them. We have no idea what their parents have raised them to do, and on the off chance that they are good, we would be tearing them away from the only family and  _ home _ they’ve ever known.” 

Rapunzel could feel her magic getting out of control, her hair glowing faintly as it burst from the braid she always wore to things like this, the full length throwing itself out behind her in her rage. “Get Gothel’s daughter off that island  _ now _ or my country will secede.” She could feel Eugene trying to get her to calm down, if only for the scene she was making. He would support her in anything, and his face was twisted as much as hers. 

Ginny Gothel was not taken off the isle and Rapunzel’s parents went to meetings instead for a few years, at least until the media fiasco had calmed down. So years later when a teenage king decided he wanted to save them, she gave him her full support. 


End file.
